Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, often abbreviated to SGM, is an American experimental rock band. They formed in 1999 in Oakland, California and the band currently consists of Matthias Bossi, Nils Frykdahl, Carla Kihlstedt, Michael Iago Mellender, and Dan Rathbun.
Their style has been known to fuse classical, industrial, and art-rock themes throughout their music. SGM also performs elaborate routines on stage, including possibly made-up stories about other artists. Overall, their shows are more than just a musical concert, they are an artistic experience.
The name Sleepytime Gorilla Museum comes from a small group of Dadaists, Futurists, and artists named the Sleepytime Gorilla Press. Once this group owned a “museum” that they called a “museum of the future,” which was a non-historical anti-artifact and has since closed.
Their live performances have featured puppet shows, pseudo-scientific scholarly presentations, and performances by members of the Butoh group inkBoat. The band uses many homemade devices as instruments, such as the Viking Rowboat. Member Dan Rathburn created most of the instruments and plays many other custom-made items for the band. He most often uses a common bass guitar but is also known to work with a custom-stringed bass instrument referred to as the Sledgehammer Dulcimer. For percussion, most of the instruments Mellender uses come from restaurant kitchen equipment, such as trash can lids.
SGM is categorized as an experimental rock group, with an avant-garde metal style. The band itself does not like to take part in categorization, so they try to escape the labels and create their own version of whatever music they are making.
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum will be playing alongside Arone Dryer and Knifethrower at Elsewhere in Brooklyn, NY on March 18! Tickets are on sale now at https://www.elsewherebrooklyn.com/events/215306-sleepytime-gorilla-museum-arone-dyer-knifethrower-18th-mar-elsewhere-the-hall-new-york-tickets.
Location: Elsewhere
Address: 599 Johnson Ave Brooklyn, NY 11237
Doors Open: 7:00
Ticket Price: $30
Age: 16+
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum’s Upcoming Tour Dates:
2/29 – Arcata, CA – Humbrews
3/01 – Eugene, OR – WOW Hall
3/02 – Portland, OR – Aladdin Theater
3/03 – Seattle, WA – Crocodile
3/04 – Boise, ID – Treefort Music Hall
3/05 – Salt Lake City, UT – Metro Music Hall
3/07 – Denver, CO – The Bluebird
3/08 – Estes Parl, CO – The Stanley Hotel
3/09 – Estes Parl, CO – The Stanley Hotel
3/11 – Kansas City, MO – Record Bar
3/12 – Minneapolis, MN – The Fine Line
3/13 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
3/14 – Indianapolis, IN – Irving Theater
3/15 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland
3/16 – Philadelphia, PA – Underground
3/17 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair
3/18 – Brooklyn, NY – Elsewhere
3/19 – Baltimore, MD – The Ottobar
3/20 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
3/21-24 – Knoxville, TN – Big Ears Festival
3/25 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West
3/26 – Winter Park, FL – Conduit
3/27 – Tampa, FL – Orpheum
3/28- New Orleans, LA 0 Howlin’ Wolf
3/29 – Houston, TX – Secret Group
3/30 – Austin, TX – The Mohawk
3/31 – Dallas, TX – Trees
4/02- Alberquerque, NM – Sister Bar
4/03 – Phoenix, AZ – The Crescent
4/04 – Tucson, AZ – 191 Toole
4/05 – Los Angeles, CA – The Fonda
4/06 – Berkely, CA – The UC Theatre
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